Overview

On 4 Mar 2012 a fire caused a series of explosions in the arms depot of the Congolese National
Army in Brazzaville resulting in the devastation of the surrounding neighbourhoods and 246 deaths, up to 2,200 people injured, and the displacement of an estimated 13,800 people (IFRC, 26 Mar 2012).

Until 15 May 2012, about 10,000 people were spread in nine shelter sites. At the beginning of June, the number dropped to about 5,000; but their living conditions remained precarious. To improve the conditions, the government decided to prepare three new sites and close seven ones that were below international standards. By the end of February 2013, only two sites remained, housing 1,863 people. (IFRC, 31 Mar 2013)

30 April 2012: The Government and humanitarian partners are responding to clear up unexploded ammunition scattered by the arms depot explosions that killed more than 200 people in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, earlier this month. More than 121,000 people have sought refuge in religious and sports facilities near the blast and an estimated 15,000 internally displaced people (IDP) remain homeless in IDP sites.

The UN and its partners are helping to clear up unexploded ammunition scattered by the arms depot explosions that killed more than 200 people in Brazzaville earlier this month, amid concerns over the dangers it poses to life and health.

A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team is now in Congo assessing the situation and determining any possible exposure to contamination and unexploded ordnance.

(New York/Geneva, 7 March 2012) The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has deployed a four-member United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC) to Republic of Congo to support the authorities and the UN team there, after explosions at an ammunition depot near Brazzaville killed at least 200 people and injured some 1,500 more on 4 March.